Spending Time with God

God created only one of you.  You are a completely unique creation of God.  There is no one else like you on this earth.  You were created by God as part of a complicated and highly sophisticated mechanism.  Your contribution to the function of this mechanism is critical.  If you don’t do your part – it won’t get done.  No one else can do what you’ve been assigned by God to accomplish.  That may sound like a heavy burden, but it’s not.  You don’t have to accomplish your mission in your own power – you can’t accomplish your mission in your own power.  You accomplish your mission by connecting to the power of God.

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”  2 Timothy 1:7

Opportunities

Every aspect of your life, including your friends, family, the people at work or at school, and all the incidental people you encounter on any given day, are part of your mission.  How you interact with these people determines the effectiveness of your mission.  Some of these encounters will be opportunities for you to grow closer to God, and others will be opportunities for you to help others grow closer to God.  You don’t need to know which is which.  God is in complete control.  What you need to know is what God expects of you in any given situation.

Love Your Neighbor

If you’ve spent any time reading the Bible, you likely have a basic understanding of God’s expectation of us to love our neighbor; however, God’s expectation is often difficult to achieve.  We all have our weaknesses and frailties that sometimes cause us to stumble in our efforts to show God’s love in certain circumstances.  In addition, we have an enemy in this world that is actively trying to separate us from God’s love by pushing us off in the wrong direction.  Fear not.  There is a way to overcome our limitations and protect ourselves from the schemes of the enemy.

Stand Firm

“Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”  1 Corinthians 15:58

By standing firm in our commitment to seek and share God’s love, we will grow stronger and become more accomplished at following God’s path in any given situation.  Standing firm with God is a simple matter of connecting with Him on a regular basis.  The everyday struggles of life are designed by the enemy to disconnect us from God.  It is for this reason that we will frequently find ourselves in need to get reconnected.  This is why the Bible teaches us to constantly be in prayer, to study the Word of God, and to have fellowship with other believers; however, in today’s world this is not enough.  The enemy is relentless and will take every opportunity to hide God’s love.  If we don’t have a comprehensive plan to block the efforts of the enemy, we will most certainly be caught by one of his snares.

The Power of God

The power of God is available to us every minute of every day.  We can connect to that power through prayer, reading the Bible, or spending time with other believers.  These activities are like extension cords that plug us into the power of God. But they are not the only way to get connected.  When we serve God by serving others, we will instantly feel a regeneration of God’s power and love.  Taking a few minutes to watch a Christian devotional video, or read from your favorite Christian devotional book, are also examples of extension cords that will plug you into the power and love of God.  Finally, doing what you know to be the will of God in your life is probably the best way to connect with God.

“Come close to God and He will come close to you.”  James 4:8

Stay Connected

Standing strong in the face of the enemy’s distractions is not an easy task.  Our only hope is in our connection to God.  The more time we spend with God each day, the better connected we will be.  If we start our morning with prayer and then seek a variety of ways to spend time with God each day, we will be protected from our own inadequacies and from the schemes of the enemy.  Spending time with God is the only way to develop our spiritual maturity.  When we spend time with God on a regular basis, we will become more like Him each and every day.

All scripture references are linked to Bible Gateway so that you can read each verse in context.  Bible Gateway allows you to change the verse to your favorite translation and compare it side-by-side with multiple translations.  In addition, you can select to hear an audio version of any verse by clicking on the speaker icon.  Keep the Bible Gateway App on your phone so that you can visit the Word of God at any time during your day.

Trust God Not Yourself